Testing and application of a model for snow redistribution (Snow_Blow) in the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica
Wind-driven snow redistribution can increase the spatial heterogeneity of snow accumulation on ice caps and ice sheets, and may prove crucial for the initiation and survival of glaciers in areas of marginal glaciation. We present a snowdrift model (Snow_Blow), which extends and improves the model of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143019000704/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811155813545279488 |
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| author | Stephanie C. Mills Anne M. Le Brocq Kate Winter Michael Smith John Hillier Ekaterina Ardakova Clare M. Boston David Sugden John Woodward |
| author_facet | Stephanie C. Mills Anne M. Le Brocq Kate Winter Michael Smith John Hillier Ekaterina Ardakova Clare M. Boston David Sugden John Woodward |
| author_sort | Stephanie C. Mills |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wind-driven snow redistribution can increase the spatial heterogeneity of snow accumulation on ice caps and ice sheets, and may prove crucial for the initiation and survival of glaciers in areas of marginal glaciation. We present a snowdrift model (Snow_Blow), which extends and improves the model of Purves, Mackaness and Sugden (1999, Journal of Quaternary Science 14, 313–321). The model calculates spatial variations in relative snow accumulation that result from variations in topography, using a digital elevation model (DEM) and wind direction as inputs. Improvements include snow redistribution using a flux routing algorithm, DEM resolution independence and the addition of a slope curvature component. This paper tests Snow_Blow in Antarctica (a modern environment) and reveals its potential for application in palaeoenvironmental settings, where input meteorological data are unavailable and difficult to estimate. Specifically, Snow_Blow is applied to the Ellsworth Mountains in West Antarctica where ablation is considered to be predominantly related to wind erosion processes. We find that Snow_Blow is able to replicate well the existing distribution of accumulating snow and snow erosion as recorded in and around Blue Ice Areas. Lastly, a variety of model parameters are tested, including depositional distance and erosion vs wind speed, to provide the most likely input parameters for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:41:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a8161878e1634b3bb2ae2b950caa5402 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:41:01Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj.art-a8161878e1634b3bb2ae2b950caa54022023-03-09T12:40:49ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522019-12-016595797010.1017/jog.2019.70Testing and application of a model for snow redistribution (Snow_Blow) in the Ellsworth Mountains, AntarcticaStephanie C. Mills0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3228-6851Anne M. Le Brocq1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2917-4947Kate Winter2Michael Smith3John Hillier4Ekaterina Ardakova5Clare M. Boston6David Sugden7John Woodward8School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong NSW 2522, Australia School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UKGeography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UKSchool of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UKDepartment of Geography, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UKDepartment of Geography, Geology and the Environment, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UKDepartment of Geography, University of Portsmouth, Buckingham Building, Lion Terrace, Portsmouth PO1 3HE, UKSchool of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UKWind-driven snow redistribution can increase the spatial heterogeneity of snow accumulation on ice caps and ice sheets, and may prove crucial for the initiation and survival of glaciers in areas of marginal glaciation. We present a snowdrift model (Snow_Blow), which extends and improves the model of Purves, Mackaness and Sugden (1999, Journal of Quaternary Science 14, 313–321). The model calculates spatial variations in relative snow accumulation that result from variations in topography, using a digital elevation model (DEM) and wind direction as inputs. Improvements include snow redistribution using a flux routing algorithm, DEM resolution independence and the addition of a slope curvature component. This paper tests Snow_Blow in Antarctica (a modern environment) and reveals its potential for application in palaeoenvironmental settings, where input meteorological data are unavailable and difficult to estimate. Specifically, Snow_Blow is applied to the Ellsworth Mountains in West Antarctica where ablation is considered to be predominantly related to wind erosion processes. We find that Snow_Blow is able to replicate well the existing distribution of accumulating snow and snow erosion as recorded in and around Blue Ice Areas. Lastly, a variety of model parameters are tested, including depositional distance and erosion vs wind speed, to provide the most likely input parameters for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143019000704/type/journal_articleAntarctic glaciologyglaciological model experimentswind-blown snow |
| spellingShingle | Stephanie C. Mills Anne M. Le Brocq Kate Winter Michael Smith John Hillier Ekaterina Ardakova Clare M. Boston David Sugden John Woodward Testing and application of a model for snow redistribution (Snow_Blow) in the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica Journal of Glaciology Antarctic glaciology glaciological model experiments wind-blown snow |
| title | Testing and application of a model for snow redistribution (Snow_Blow) in the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica |
| title_full | Testing and application of a model for snow redistribution (Snow_Blow) in the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica |
| title_fullStr | Testing and application of a model for snow redistribution (Snow_Blow) in the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Testing and application of a model for snow redistribution (Snow_Blow) in the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica |
| title_short | Testing and application of a model for snow redistribution (Snow_Blow) in the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica |
| title_sort | testing and application of a model for snow redistribution snow blow in the ellsworth mountains antarctica |
| topic | Antarctic glaciology glaciological model experiments wind-blown snow |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143019000704/type/journal_article |
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